Drink a lot of liquids and often

If you have a fever, your body naturally loses a lot of fluid, especially through sweating. It is therefore important to drink a lot and often.

Preferably drink cold or hot liquids: water, milk, juice, broth.

Avoid alcoholic beverages or caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea and energy drinks. As these drink make you urinate, they increase loss of fluid.

Use medication according to instructions

In the absence of complications or risk factors, treatment of the flu requires no prescription medication. However, to relieve fever and pain, you may take over-the-counter medicine such as acetaminophen, Tylenol® for example, and ibuprophen, Advil® for example.

Avoid taking medication that includes identical ingredients at the same time. For instance, do not take Tylenol® and Tylenol® Sinus together because both these medicines contain acetaminophen.

In certain cases, your doctor may prescribe antiviral medicine to reduce the duration and severity of your symptoms. This type of medication is most effective when taken at the onset of an infection.

Children and Adolescents

If your child is over 3 months old and has a fever, you may give him or her acetaminophen such as Tylenol®, following instructions given and according to your child’s weight.

Avoid giving children and adolescents acetylsalicylic acid such as aspirin. Such medication can lead to a serious disease of the brain and liver known as ‘Reye's Syndrome’ in children and adolescents with the flu.

Complications

The flu can lead to certain complications, including:

Dehydration due to sweating caused by fever

Pneumonia

Bronchitis

Sinusitis

Otitis

For people considered more vulnerable to sickness, certain complications can lead to hospitalisation or even death.

People most at risk of complications

If you or your child are among people most at risk of complications and have symptoms of the flu, call Info-Santé 811. A nurse will evaluate your health and make recommendations based on your condition.

Transmission

The flu virus lives best in fresh and dry areas. It can live up to 2 days on contaminated objects or up to 5 minutes on skin.

The flu virus is very contagious. It is spread quickly from person to person in the following ways:

By droplets sprayed through the mouth or nose by an infected person when they cough or sneeze

By direct contact with secretions from the nose or throat from a person with the flu, when kissing for instance

When you bring your hand to your nose, mouth or eyes after shaking the hand of someone infected or touching contaminated objects

A person infected with flu virus may be contagious:

24 hours before showing symptoms

Up to 7 days after onset of symptoms, and sometimes even a bit longer.

Young children and seniors can be contagious for up to 14 days following onset of symptoms.

At all times

If you have the flu

Stay at home as soon as you notice symptoms of the flu. Unless otherwise advised by a doctor, home is the best place for treatment. By staying at home, you limit contact with other people or with other infections that may cause complications. You also limit transmission of the virus